Three Truths and a Lie Book review

What is this about: DD Warren is teaching a class to a bunch of thriller writers, regaling them with the tale of one of her more unique cases and asking them to pin down the lie in her tale.

What else is this about?: Nothing else really. Turned out to be a very cool introduction to DD Warren, a character of Gardner’s from like 7 or 8 books.

Stars: 4/5

This might be the shortest review I’ve ever done! I listened to this as an audiobook, which is the very definition of short and sweet. I don’t know DD’s character or the series so I figured for a short story, I won’t be missing much.

Aside from a brief introduction featuring her husband, the entire story takes place in a lecture theatre where DD is teaching the likes of Karin Slaughter and Kathy Reichs about forensics. It’s hilarious and original and fun to see Gardner name check her fellow authors through the very put out DD who doesn’t want to be teaching a bunch of authors she assumes learn everything from TV and Google.

So she gives them a twister of a case of hers, asking them to identify the lie in it, not to mention how a man who cut off his own leg died, and not from the blood loss exactly.

As everything takes place in one room, there’s nowhere for DD to hide in a way – characterisation has to be spot on and readers have to engage with her because there’s no one else. DD as it turns out is a snarky, intelligent and a more than capable leader, even of a roomful of writers. The story is a mind-bending one, testing the writers in the room while I found myself along for the ride, enjoying DD stump her audience.

This is one of those genuinely FUN stories, that packs a tremendously enjoyable story in a short period of time. And I think it’s a great introduction to the series and DD, without hopefully having to go back to the beginning.